Buffalo Common Councilmembers say the Mayor's Office and Comptroller's Office have come up with different projections for the budget deficit that will close out the city's fiscal year 2017-2018. With the city's spending relying heavily on cash reserves, lawmakers sitting on the Council's Finance Committee were asked: are they concerned this could raise the possibility of a return to a hard control board?

Buffalo's fiscal watchdog says the city needs to get out of its longtime habit of taking money from reserves to close out budget deficits. Comptroller Mark Schroeder warns that continuing that habit, along with rising conditions elsewhere, could put Buffalo on a path toward a new financial crisis.

Federal anti-poverty funds received by the City of Buffalo will now be overseen by the city comptroller.

This is among the changes mandated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. These monies were previously handled by the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency, but that arrangement led to investigations into the appropriation of the funds.

Comptroller Mark Schroeder claims that members of the renewal agency will not be among his team of overseers for the funding.

Quarterly reports regarding the use of the funds will be required as well.